Nana Patekar or Smit Machchhar? Mumbai's new bridge gets caught in naming row

Row over Mumbai's Vidyavihar bridge name

MUMBAI: A naming row has erupted over Mumbai's newly constructed East-West Vidyavihar bridge ahead of its opening to traffic, with Shiv Sena (UBT) demanding that the structure be named after actor Nana Patekar, while BJP MLA Parag Shah has proposed naming it after Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian commercial pilot hailed for thwarting a mid-air hijacking.The Shiv Sena (UBT) recently put up a banner on the bridge demanding that it be named 'Padma Shri Nana Patekar Setu', days after Shah approached the authorities with a request to name it after Captain Machchhar.Machchhar was hailed globally as a hero after thwarting a violent mid-air hijacking of a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight.Earlier this week, a delegation of Sena (UBT) leaders met Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and submitted a letter demanding that the bridge be named after Patekar.Tawde could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts. However, Ganesh Khankar, leader of the house in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), accused Sena (UBT) of stoking a controversy to claim credit for the naming proposal."Nana Patekar was one of the most talented actors in the country. I feel that it would be more fitting to name a large theatre or a theatre complex after him rather than a bridge," Khankar said.

Vidyavihar bridge in Mumbai: Key features

The much-delayed, 650-metre-long, two-lane East-West Vidyavihar bridge connects Ramchandra Chemburkar Marg on the eastern side of Vidyavihar railway station with Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg on the western side in Ghatkopar.According to the BMC, the bridge has a 100-metre section passing over railway tracks. Its approach roads measure 220 metres on the eastern side and 330 metres on the western side.The project also includes access links connecting the bridge to the station's footpaths, along with the reconstruction of ticket booking offices, the station master's office and staircases, the civic body said.